- Title: EU legislators insist on change to Turkey's terrorism law for visa deal
- Date: 18th May 2016
- Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (MAY 18, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS MEMBER OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT (EP) AND HEAD OF EP DELEGATION VISITING TURKEY, MARIETJE SCHAAKE, HOLDING NEWS CONFERENCE REPORTERS TAKING NOTES (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF EP DELEGATION VISITING TURKEY, MARIETJE SCHAAKE, SAYING: "The changes of the anti-terrorism law are now a hot topic of discussion around the visa liberalisation criteria. Let me be very clear: the visa liberalisation criteria have been agreed between the EU and Turkey in 2013. There are 72 criteria that have been put on paper. The European Parliament believes that these criteria should met before we can bring the visa liberalisation question to our vote." PHOTOGRAPHER TAKING PICTURE (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF EP DELEGATION VISITING TURKEY, MARIETJE SCHAAKE, SAYING: "Now the progress report you are talking about is from the European commission and deals with the meeting of the criteria of visa liberalisation, but these criteria, we have to underline, have been agreed in 2013 already by both Turkey and the EU. So if Turkey finds what it is has itself agreed in 2013 unacceptable then we have a different problem, but those 72 criteria have been agreed in 2013. They are not politicised. They are not made up suddenly by the EU but they have been in place and agreed by Turkey already years ago too. " REPORTER LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF EP DELEGATION VISITING TURKEY, MARIETJE SCHAAKE, SAYING: "So terrorism is a serious problem, we feel in Europe and in Turkey alike, in fact, all over the world. What we have also discussed here is how the laws that are currently in place are applied and whether they could be abused and that is a concern we have. That is what we addressed. There should not be the use and abuse of anti-terror laws to stifle or silence the legitimate speech or journalistic freedom or media freedom. That is very crucial for us." REPORTER TAKING NOTES SCHAAKE BEING INTERVIEWED
- Embargoed: 2nd June 2016 16:22
- Keywords: Europe migrants Turkey deal counter-terrorism laws visa liberalisation
- Location: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
- City: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0014IC5N47
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: European Parliament expects Turkey to meet the 72 criteria, including changes in counter-terrorism law, required under a deal to curb migration, the head of a European Parliament delegation said on Wednesday (May 18).
Brussels wants Ankara to narrow its legal definition of terrorism and change some other laws to meet EU standards - as part of the wide-ranging deal to secure Turkish help in reducing the flow of migrants into Europe in return for visa-free travel for Turks to EU countries.
Marietje Schaake, a Dutch lawmaker who is the head of a human rights delegation visiting Turkey, said the 72 criteria that Turkey is required to meet were agreed in 2013, long before the migrant agreement was reached.
She said there were concerns about "the use and abuse of anti-terror laws to stifle or silence the legitimate speech or journalistic freedom or media freedom".
The stand-off between Turkey and EU has cast doubts on the future of an agreement.
The EU and rights groups accuse Turkey of using its broad anti-terrorism laws to stifle dissent. Ankara says it needs the laws to battle Kurdish militants at home and Islamic State in neighbouring Iraq and Syria. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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